The Chicago Cubs are having a tough year.

The Cubs having a bad year isn't really a new thing, but they have been having a particularly difficult season in 2012 in two areas: fifth starter, and catching. The first three catchers on their depth chart are all on the disabled list: Geovany Soto (meniscus tear), Steve Clevenger (oblique) and now Welington Castillo (knee sprain), on the DL as of Tuesday:

Welington Castillo expected to go on DL to make room for Travis Wood. #Cubs

— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) May 22, 2012

Travis Wood is being recalled to be the Cubs' fifth starter, replacing Chris Volstad, who was awful in eight starts; Volstad posted a 7.46 ERA and the Cubs lost all eight games. Wood was recalled earlier and made one start, allowing three runs in six innings and going 2-for-2. That's 40 percent of all hits recorded in 2012 by Cubs pitchers.

Meanwhile, the Cubs' catchers are now Blake Lalli, a 29-year-old undrafted free agent who's been in the Cubs' system for six years without a single recall, and Koyie Hill. The Cubs let Hill go at the end of 2011 and until last week, he was hitting .195 for Double-A Pensacola in the Reds' organization.

Such is the state of the Chicago Cubs in 2012.